Working for Jewish girls: Lily Montagu, girls' clubs and industrial reform 1890-1914

Abstract

Lily Montagu was involved in social work and religious ministry with the London Jewish community for over sixty years. This article considers the significance of her involvement in the girls' club movement and her efforts towards workplace reform. It argues that the specific circumstances of working-class Jewish girls in the early twentieth century enabled her to develop a comprehensive view of both industrial organisation and social work. Her approach was submerged as social work and trade unionism diverged along fault lines of gender, but continues to raise issues of relevance today.